Nejibana
by Stitchpuppy01
Summary: The little, kind, wonderful, and thoughtful Neji that Hinata loved has grown. And now that he is older and none of those things, she still cannot help but love her Neji-niisan.
1. Traces of Blood

*Disclaimer* I own no part of Naruto whatsoever

Traces of Blood

1

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//

The last kind memory Hinata could remember of her Neji-niisan was when they were but six years old. Hinata's mother had died suddenly, rendering Hinata broken and lifeless. The trademark white in her eyes were not only blank, but listless and dull. There was no life anywhere in her, and being the heir to the Huuga clan didn't even give her right to cry. An heir must be strong. Must be a leader. Gender does not matter. Death does not matter. Fear does not matter. That is the way of a shinobi.

Young Neji, having been influenced by Huuga tradition, was compelled to feel responsible for Hinata's morose condition. He was very upset with himself.

Hinata, as heir, had been required to attend a formal dinner with the Hokage one night. The Hokage had kindly asked her a question which Hinata had not responded to. She just sat and looked at him, still and unemotional. Her father, who had considered this a profound act of disrespect and humiliation, locked her in her room for a number of days until she found the strength to get over her grief.

Hinata merely nodded and agreed. She didn't even seem upset.

Neji, who had snuck out of tutoring early, was waiting for her in her room. "Hinata-sama!" he called happily when she rounded the entrance to her door. "Hinata-sama, I-I know what happened at dinner. I'm sorry, but…" Little Neji had a small dumpling in his hand; one from his own small dinner very similar to the others of the lower branch of the Huuga family. He thrust it toward her.

"Please eat this, Hinata-sama! I-I don't want you passing out from hunger!"

Hinata stared at the dumpling blankly, as if not understanding what it was, and walked right past him to her bed. She pressed her little form into the soft sheets of her futon and curled up. There was a pretty purple Kimono with intricate designs of nejibana flowers laying beside her which she drew in close like a life-support, and inhaled the scent from it. It was her mothers.

Neji, drawing his eyebrows together, stared at the untouched dumpling in his hand and glanced at Hinata's motionless form. "Hinata-sama?" he called gently, as if fearing he might wake her if she was asleep. Of course she wasn't, but still Neji heard no sound from her. He sighed miserably and slumped his shoulders. He took a reflexive step forward but stopped himself. Neji was young, but he was anything but dull. He knew there was little he could do for Hinata at this point--no matter how much he wanted to be able to help her, and this helplessness wounded him greatly.

Neji walked over to Hinata's night stand and placed the dumpling on it. He made his way toward the exit and looked over his shoulder remorsefully.

"Good night, Hinata-sama," he whispered, and walked out of the room, shutting the door as quietly as possible.

"Thank you, Neji-niisan," Hinata whispered just before falling into a peaceful slumber.

It wasn't fair that sleep plagued her with such fond recollections of the past. All her life Hinata remembered being alone, ever since her beloved mother died, and the only person she had left in the entire world had abandoned her shortly afterward. Her Neji-niisan hated her.

And though Hinata understood exactly why and how much he hated her, she still could not help but love him. Neji was the only person who was ever really nice to her, and even though Hinata knew it to be naïve to linger on past relationships, it was the warm feeling of comfort and love she could not allow herself to forget. _That_ Neji--the little kind Neji--she loved with all her heart, and no matter how poorly he treated her that was the only Neji she ever saw when she looked at him.

Usually anger and hatred are easy to remember--far too easy--but for Hinata kindness held a firmer place than that of dejection and loathing. A kind and soft soul. A rare and bejeweled mind.

But still, Neji did not see any of that.

Whenever he looked at her all he could see was his father's death. For a growing boy, a father means everything. Is everything. And Neji lost his at such a young age. Oh how it must have felt to witness the bonding of other boys with their fathers while he--lonely and mistreated by the upper branch of the Huuga family--could only stand by and watch silently.

Hinata understood clearly how much hatred had been escalading inside of Neji-niisan, especially for so long, and the overpowering urge he felt to lash that anger out towards something was an emotion he'd struggled with for years. He had to have somebody to blame. He had to hate something that would not hate him back.

Hinata was perfect.

But for her, this was okay. Neji--kind wonderful Neji--had grown into a fine ninja of thirteen and was as strong and powerful as any student she knew. He was taught to be strong, to be the brightest and the most revered. Yes, he was strong, but inside he still suffered, and that small Neji--little pleasant thoughtful Neji--crying and weeping over his loss called out to Hinata as clearly as a church bell.

If there was anything she could do to ease that inner pain of cute and kind Neji, she would not hesitate. Hinata owed her happiness to Neji. All of it.

No one mattered more than her Neji--niisan.

Well, at first.

It wasn't until her first year at the academy when Hinata caught sight of Naruto, the absurdly energetic blond boy with the adorable whisker markings on his face that she began to change; to see things differently.

Naruto was amazing. He was hated, shunned, teased, and kicked around all his life. When he wasn't being scolded by a teacher or being bullied by a student he was completely and utterly alone. No one looked at him. No one talked to him. No one cared that he was alive.

This touched Hinata so deeply that she wept quietly in her room one night, submerged in her own wretchedness of character. Always Hinata had been ashamed of herself, pitying herself, berating herself, hating herself, and then along came this boy. He had it unimaginably worse than her. Hinata couldn't even fathom how she thought her life had been horrible.

But it wasn't as if she was looking down on Naruto. Definitely not that. She absolutely and wholly _adored _Naruto. He was absolutely everything she wished she could be; strong, brave, determined, and unique. Naruto was all these things and more. He was everything. Never had Hinata seen someone push themselves the way Naruto did. He wasn't smart and he wasn't all that talented as a warrior, but he never stopped to mull over his shortcomings. Naruto never ever let anything stall his determination or resolution to become stronger. To become better. To become somebody. Somebody that deserved respect. Someone that deserved to be loved.

It was only when she found out of his existence did Hinata start to question her own. Perhaps her whole life didn't have to be shrouded in misery? Perhaps she wasn't hopeless? Perhaps she too could become stronger than even her Neji-niisan. It was a very very long shot, of course, but that didn't mean it was impossible.

And that was all she needed. As long as it wasn't impossible she would try. Just like Naruto.

After following through with her normal morning routine, Hinata left the Huuga manor early. She always did this, making sure no one but the guards saw her so that if anyone--in the unlikely case--would ask where she was, at least someone would know.

The sun was bright and the air was fresh. Hinata gazed at the radiant colors of the earth and the sky--just like brothers--and gave a tiny smile. The only thing that made her happy at all besides Naruto was the comfort of nature.

Hinata knew Naruto was up. He always got up at 5:00pm to train alone in the woods. She knew this because one day when she had risen quite early herself and decided to go exploring in the woods for some usable herbs that could be made into medicine. Hinata made her own healing creams and ointments. It was the only other hobby she had besides cooking. Her mother had taught her to do both.

Naruto had been there throwing shurikans and kunais into a particularly worn and scathed tree. It was apparent that he'd been doing this for a while. Hinata hid behind a thick evergreen trunk and observed him for what seemed like too short a time, and when finally she'd come to her senses, noticed that it was the middle of the day.

Hinata was looking toward the sky in fondness as she made her way there. Hinata knew Naruto didn't train on rainy days. On rainy days he slept in, on cloudy days he went right to the ramen shop, and on foggy days he trained or slept in--it all depended on his mood that morning.

But Naruto would be at the tree today, Hinata was almost certain of it. She smiled lightly to herself. She knew it was wrong and weird and puzzling to feel proud this of this, but she couldn't help herself.

Love.

It was love.

When Hinata was near enough she used her Byakugan to scan beyond the trees. She saw a silhouette tossing a kunai in the air, catching it with absentminded ease. Hinata receded her Byakugan and ran directly in the woods. Her heart thumped and pounded with exhilaration and anticipation. Such are the feelings of someone in love.

Hinata slowed to a stealthy walk when the tree had become visible, but when she peeked around a trunk of an evergreen, turned her mouth down into a frown. Her heart dropped like a chunk of lead. There wasn't anyone there. It was utterly impossible that her Byakugan had been wrong, but…where was the explanation for this?

Quietly Hinata stepped forward, making sure not to even rustle the thinnest blade of grass under her feet. She approached the tree and looked around. Again Hinata used her Byakugan and saw nothing. Sighing she placed her hand on the crevices in the tree, tracing her thin fingers across the deep grooves. Naruto had really been serious about training, and it showed in the trunk's unsightly markings.

Hinata removed her hand and made a move to turn away, but someone caught her from behind, faster than she was able to process, and held a kunai to her throat. The attacker pressed the sharpened edges to her exposed neck. Any movement at all of his hand would result in a trail of blood.

Hinata gasped, taken by surprise, but did not struggle to get away. A firm hand gripped her wrist viciously, twisting it around her back, making it impossible to break free.

"You are slow, Hinata-sama," a low voice whispered in her ear.

Hinata's eyes widened. "N-N-Ne--"

"What are you doing here, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata was at a loss for words. She would rather he slit her throat right there and then than tell him the truth. If he knew…

"Um…I…wh-what are you doing here, Neji-niisan?" Hinata managed to choke out. It was the best response she could think of. Neji released his threatening hold on his cousin and stepped back, narrowing his eyes with distaste. Hinata turned around, unconsciously backing up toward the tree. She didn't know it until her back pressed against the hard wood.

"I am here because of you, Hinata-sama," Neji said unexpectedly. "I know you've been sneaking off early every morning and coming here. As your guardian I demand that you tell me what it is you've been doing. May I remind you that everything you do has impact on the Huuga clan, whether you know it or not, and if you've been doing something…inappropriate behind your father's back, you will not be excused or treated lightly. As heir you must act accordingly and always keep your position in mind. You take it for granted."

Hinata flushed deeply. There was undeniable truth in everything he said, but there was only one word that stuck out in her mind.

_Inappropriate… _

_He-He can't really think that, can he?! _Hinata thought feverishly.

"My duty is to watch over you, Hinata-sama, and protect you. I counsel that you to stop whatever it is you've been doing and think more level-headedly from on."

"Y-Yes, Neji-niisan. B-But I wasn't—"

"Hinata-chan?" a voice interrupted.

Hinata spun around, horrified, while Neji merely glanced to the side. Naruto was there, staring at them with a puzzled look. There was a small bundle of kunais attached to his side which he had his hand on, ready to unlatch. "What are you two doin' here?" he asked incredulously. "I didn't think anyone came here but me."

Sheepishly Naruto reached up to rub his nose with his index finger, a happy grin stretching across his face. "D-Did you come here to train too? Hey, maybe we can do it together?"

Hinata blushed a very unhealthy shade of red. Neji's eyes narrowed dangerously and distastefully at Naruto. "This is who you've been meeting?" He asked dangerously; condescendingly.

Hinata didn't know what to say. She hid her face in her sleeve while trying unsuccessfully to get a hold on her out of control imagination. "N-No! I swear…"

"Think about what I've said, Hinata-sama," Neji said once more, seriously and unarguably. He walked off without another word, taking the kunai he'd pressed to Hinata's neck and wiped something off with his thumb and index finger.

"H-Hinata-chan! You're bleeding!" Naruto exclaimed.

Hinata looked down and saw a trace of blood seeping into her collar. She grazed her neck with a single finger and examined it.

Yes. She was bleeding.


	2. Briefing

Briefing

2

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//

As Hinata lay there clutching the kimono tightly to her small form, she was faintly aware of a quick shuffling of feet outside in the hallway. It had only been a day since she'd been confined to her room, but it seemed that in that short time something urgent had taken place. There were low and pressing voices seeping through her door while she lay there motionlessly, dry-eyed and listless. Hinata wished they would just be quiet and go away.

"Has anyone found any information, yet?" asked the concerned voice of an old woman.

"No, no one. Neji has gone missing and no one knows where he is!" another voice, a younger woman, replied.

Hinata lifted her eye lids a fraction wider, immersing herself further in the comfort of her mothers smell lingering off of her Kimono.

"Do you think he was kidnapped?" The old woman asked frantically. "If he was what—"

"No," the younger woman interrupted. "lets not jump to any conclusions. If anyone were to be kidnapped it would be Hiashi's daughter. What bargain could possibly be made with a child of a lower branch? Surely—" Whatever they said next was lost on deaf ears. Hinata lay there staring at nothing, until hearing the soft footsteps of their feet fade away down the hall.

Absentmindedly Hinata turned to her nightstand, glancing the uneaten dumpling that still rest on it. In that short second Hinata felt a spark. Somewhere deep inside her something had ignited. Hinata pushed the Kimono away from her and rose quickly out of bed.

* * *

This had happened so long ago. Hinata was almost certain Neji-niisan hadn't remembered it. If anything he would have pushed it far far in the back of his mind where it would never be touched again, destined to mold beneath the cobwebs of memories which no longer served him. Which are all the memories before his father's death.

Naruto had a bandage tucked away in his shirt that he always brought with him during training. He offered it to Hinata and she received it with blushing gratitude, running off the second after giving her thanks. Hinata came to a stop after reaching the outside of the Huuga manor. Without thinking she had come back, but made no immediate move to enter the house. She walked outside into the courtyard and peeled the slick paper from the bandage, then smoothed it onto her neck. She adjusted her collar so that no one would notice it right away, but it wasn't all that effective.

"Hinata, what happened?" a small voice asked. Hinata saw her sister there, making her way toward her from beyond the manor. She was thin with long brown hair and an unmoving exterior. Hinata often found it hard to look at her at times, for she was the exact copy of her father, but still she loved her with all the affection of a big sister. Even though she was the preferred heir to the Huuga throne.

Hinata tucked the paper from the bandage inside her jacket pocket and said meekly, "An accident."

"Is that so?" Hanabi said without feeling. "In any case, I have a message for you. Where have you been?"

"T-Taking a walk."

"When you take such an early leave—or any leave for that matter—you should report to someone."

Hinata frowned at having to be lectured by her little sister, but then again, she was right. "Y-Yes. I just thought—"

"Father wishes to speak with you. Hurry and go see him." Hanabi said abruptly, as if impatient to be elsewhere, and Hinata nodded. There was always a sickening feeling that twisted in her gut every time her father wanted to speak with her, for she knew every time what the outcome would be.

But even though she didn't wish to speak with her father, Hinata still made her way to him as quickly as possible, for he was an impatient man. Well actually, quite the contrary. He was only impatient with her. With everyone else he had all the tolerance in the world.

Hinata's father was at his desk, flipping through what Hinata suspected to be foreign documents and forms signed and sent by the Hokage.

"U-Um--"

"Come in, Hinata," he said without looking up.

She did. There was a seat in front of his desk for guests or clients to take, but Hinata always stood. She would only ever sit if her father asked her to, which he never did.

"Hinata, I have been very displeased with your progress at the academy. Your grades are too low. You need to improve quickly and spare me the grief of having to hire another tutor for you."

Hinata kept her head held high, despite the natural instinct to bow in shame. "Yes, father."

Actually, Hinata's grades were good. She didn't get all A's like her Neji-niisan, but they were fairly decent. Only an heir would be expected to do better.

"I will be needing you to pack your things as well, Hinata."

"What? Why?" _Oh Kami! Is he kicking me out?_ Hinata thought frantically.

"I will be sending you on a mission."

Hinata's heart dropped.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. I will be sending you on a mission to The Village of Sand. There is someone there which needs to be escorted to the Hidden Leaf Village. I have put in a special request to the Hokage requesting you in particular to take on this assignment. Report to him tomorrow morning and you will be briefed on all the details, but for now pack and ready yourself."

"A-Am I going by myself?" Hinata asked with concern.

"Of course not. You will be accompanied by one other person. Neji. Now hurry and go."

_Neji-niisan?_ Hinata though in alarm.

Quickly Hinata ran through a number of schematics and inner geographical layouts. Suna was at least two and a half weeks away on foot, which was no doubt how they'd be traveling, and Hinata suppressed a tremor at the bottom of her spine. Alone with Neji for two and a half weeks. She loved her Neji-niisan dearly, but…

Did he know about this?

"Is there something more?" Hiashi asked sternly when Hinata did not immediately take her leave as usual.

"What time should I arrive, f-father?"

"7:00am."

"Th-Thank you. I will be there early." Hinata bowed respectfully and exited with a look of misery on her face.

Hinata did as she was told and packed everything for the upcoming trip. Fighting back the dread, fear, and anxiousness was difficult, and she'd hoped that packing would have provided a better distraction, but it did not.

When she was mostly done, Hinata left the manor, desperate for fresh air, and moseyed on over to the porch.

When she rounded the corner Hinata drew back and gave a tiny gasp.

Neji was there, sitting perfectly still with his eyes closed and legs crossed. He was meditating. Neji did this a lot whenever he had any free time, and since he had a mission coming up in which only required him to pack, he must have found the extra hours to do so.

Or perhaps he still had no idea…

Hinata stepped back, intending to return to the quiet barricades of her room, but Neji's low and unmoving voice held her. "Are you prepared for tomorrow, Hinata-sama?" he asked, eyes still drawn closed. Other than his moving lips he made no indication that he knew or cared she was there.

"Y-Yes…" Hinata replied.

"Good. Make sure you have everything you need, including kunais and other hand-held weapons. Now leave me. As you can see I am busy."

Hinata nodded and hurried away.

The next morning Hinata was up bright and early. She was told to report to the Hokage at 7:00am, but she figured it would be better to get there early. And also, so she could avoid any contact with Neji. He hadn't been particularly hostile lately, but still Hinata felt as if she should take caution--steer clear of him whenever possible. And not just because she was…frightened of him, but also because he, quite plainly, didn't want to look at her. Their eyes and skin that were so much like one another…it sickened him. Hinata could see it in his eyes every time they met with hers.

"Good morning, Hinata-san," one of the guards outside of the counseling building greeted. There were always the same two on duty, and since the Hokage was constantly visited by ninjas, genin, and jonins of all kinds, it was only natural that they remember everyone's name and face by heart.

"Good-morning," Hinata greeted with a smile.

"You are quite early today. The Hokage isn't expecting you for another half hour."

"I-I know, but I just thought things would be better this way, since I'd have more time to prepare myself for the mission afterwards. I-Is Hokaga-sama busy?"

"Not at all. He just finished with a visit from one of the jonins, and is free at the moment."

"Th-Thank you." Hinata bowed politely and went inside.

The Hokage was staring out his window, puffing smoke rings from his mouth when Hinata knocked on his door. "Ah, Hinata," he greeted before even turning around. "You're here early."

"Good morning, Hokage-sama," she greeted politely.

"Good morning. Now where is your cousin Neji Huuga? Normally he's not one to be left out on a mission debriefing."

"I-I left without him…" she admitted a little shamefully. It really would have been proper to wait for Neji instead of wordlessly strolling out on her own.

"I see. That's alright. Neji is already well informed of the mission anyways, and I'm sure he's memorized everything that need be memorized. He is a genius, after all."

"Y-Yes. He is," Hinata admitted, trying not to feel depressed. "B-But how does he already know everything? I-I was just told about this mission yesterday."

"Were you now?" the Hokage replied, blowing a puff of white smoke out his nostrils. "That father of yours…" he sighed, giving his head a slight shake. "Knew him when he was only your age--even younger in fact--and as far as I can tell not much has changed. So stiff you could iron a board on him."

Hinata couldn't help but smile. Never did anyone talk about her father that way, as an individual who was young and full of flaws, and it amused her greatly. The Hokage was just like a father to everyone, even her, and though she only met with him on occasions, to her he was just like her own father. The kindness radiating off of him was exactly like that of an affectionate father.

"Hiashi put in his request four days ago, and the day after that Neji approached me asking--well, more like interrogating--me about the mission. In fact, your father had suggested you go alone for this assignment, but Neji put up a fight and got himself assigned as your partner."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Y-You mean he wanted to come?"

The Hokage nodded and smiled. "Yes, he did. That boy has a lot of inner conflictions and negative views on the world around him, not to mention he makes a habit of submitting to his duties as if he were a slave to his honor, but there are other things stirring inside that young mind of his which holds the potential to mold him into someone stronger and wiser than your father."

Hinata suppressed a gasp. Her heart fluttered and throbbed with joy and jealousy. The fact that the Hokage thought so highly of her Neji-niisan was…wonderful beyond all explanation. But at the same time she was envious, jealous even, because no one thought of her that way at all.

"And you, Hinata," he continued with a nod of his hat as if hearing her thoughts, "are the just about the most unique Huuga I've ever met."

Hinata jerked her head up in surprise, eyes betraying the desire to hear more. "You are kind and generous, thoughtful and so absent of hate one would think you were a saint. Just like your mother, only your mother wasn't anywhere near as good a warrior as you."

"N-No…!" Hinata disagreed with a furious blush. "I-I'm not--"

"You are," the Hokage interrupted, sharply yet kindly. "And the sooner you realize it the better. Now, onto the issue at hand…"

The mission was fairly simple. Travel to Suna, find the person in question, then bring them back to Kohana as safely as possible. Hinata and Neji were to deport this afternoon, possessions in hand, weapons included in case something went wrong.

"I-It was nice seeing you again, Hokage-sama," Hinata said at the end of the briefing. "I shall look forward to seeing you again upon my return." She took a bow.

"The same goes for me, young one. And you there; you don't have to keep standing around in the hall. Come in."

Hinata erected her position, looking behind her in response to what he'd said.

Neji entered the office, taking a respectful bow. Hinata stepped back, allowing him some room to pass, but he took a few steps forward to stand right beside her. "Good morning, Hokage-sama," he greeted with stern deference. "I have come to escort Hinata-sama home."

Hinata looked at him in surprise.

"Good boy," Hokage-sama complimented. "A relief to see that, at the very least, the Huuga men have retained the characteristics of a gentleman. I believe you have everything you need to know for the mission, Neji?"

Neji nodded once. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Very good. Have nice day and may you be successful on your mission. I know the two of you will work well together."

"Thank you," Neji said, and made a move for the exit.

"And Neji," the Hokage addressed before he left. Neji stopped and Hinata almost ran into his back.

"Try to smile a little more, will you?"

Neji just looked at him over his shoulder, then motioned for Hinata to follow along after him as he took his leave.

**//*****************************//A/N//***************************//**

**I greatly apologize for how absurdly long it took me to update this story, but I have lots of stories that need be managed, and even though I don't find this to be an adequate excuse, I will still try to keep up with Nejibana.**

**To those who have waited patiently, read, and reviewed, I can't thank you enough.**

**Please continue reading and reviewing if you still like it. It'll motivate me to write faster!**


	3. Niisan

Niisan

3

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//

_Young Hinata stumbled through the woods, tripping over rocks and fallen branches, panting and gasping for breath. It was raining and she was cold. Escaping the Hyuga manor hadn't been very difficult, what with all the focus being on missing Neji, so she'd found her way away from the compound to look for her cousin._

"_C-Cousin?" she called as she searched. Hinata's own voice sounded raspy and foreign to her since she had not used it in days, and it wasn't particularly loud enough for anyone to hear. At such a young age she was unable to use her kekkei genkai, so things were much harder than they would have been for anyone else in the family._

_It would have been smarter to let it alone, wait for someone to come up a solution, but Hinata didn't like that. She couldn't bear waiting anymore. She could no longer do nothing._

_Someone important to her was missing, and after her mother's death, how much sense would it have made to feel nothing? Hinata, as young as she was, knew she would rather face death than the death of the last living person who cared about her._

_There was a steep bank Hinata had not seen, and when stumbling behind a large tree, fell right into it. She slid helplessly in a shallow pond stretching through the small section of wood, and when her leg landed on a narrow rock sticking out of the water, she cried in pain._

"_H-Hinata-sama?" a small voice cried from behind her. A tiny hand grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her under the small curve of the bank, sheltering her from the cold rain._

"_Hinata-sama, what are you doing here?"_

_The heiress looked and saw a little male likeness of herself, staring at her wide-eyed with sharp panic in his expression._

"_N-Niisan…" Hinata breathed with tears in her eyes._

_

* * *

  
_

Hinata had hoped to say goodbye to Naruto before she left, but ducked out at the last minute. She had seen him walking with Sakura, chattering expressively on their way to the academy. Sakura, though looking quite annoyed, retained a patient disposition, listening to everything the infatuated blond had to say. She even smiled from time to time, and with every one of her smiles Hinata frowned.

Sakura was beautiful. The elegance in her step went nearly unmatched, rivaled only by the feminism of Ino Yamanaka, and the unique color of her hair caught the attention of every person in town, drawing them to the tempting shape of her face. Young indeed, but much too pretty to be considered a child.

Hinata was none of the things Sakura was, and so consequently, none of things Naruto wanted. When he looked at her he smiled, but his eyes always swept right over her. She was the kind of girl that was impossible to find unless you were looking for her, and as it would seem, no one ever looked for her. Or even at her.

"Keep your head up when you walk," Neji told Hinata. "Always pay attention to where you're going."

Hinata's head snapped up before Neji even finished what he was saying. "Oh. S-Sorry Niisan…"

"Neji," he corrected flatly.

If not for Neji's previous advisory Hinata would have bowed her head in sadness. She didn't utter the correction he gave, but she didn't protest to it either.

In her mind he was still Neji-niisan…and she never wanted that to change. Ever.

***-*-*-*-*-***

Hinata and Neji decided to stop for the day when the first cluster of stars appeared in the night sky. They'd tracked a pretty good distance in the time since they departed, but eleven hours of walking with only one pit stop was…exhausting. In that time Neji hardly spoke to Hinata at all, only told her to keep up when it seemed she was lagging behind, and carried on.

"Th-There's still time for dinner," Hinata said as Neji cleared their sleeping area of branches and weeds. They'd picked a quiet spot by the river for the night, making for easy access to water and of course, food. "Th-There are plenty of fish in the river…"

Neji pulled out his compass, seemingly ignoring her at first, and said, "Do you need help?"

"H-Help?" Hinata replied.

"Catching the fish," Neji clarified, snapping the compass shut. He eased it inside his short's pocket and looked at her.

"N-No, I can catch them myself, Ne…Ne…Niisan…" Hinata inwardly scolded herself for her stupidity. Physically she really couldn't call Neji by just his first name. She just couldn't. Hinata thought he was going to snap at her for it, but he didn't.

In fact, he didn't even care.

"I'll get a fire going while you catch dinner," Neji said, and turned his back to her. "I'll be in the woods collecting firewood, but I won't go to far. If you happen to go too far upstream, just remember there are plenty of wild animals out here that can pose a threat. Do you understand, Hinata-sama?"

"Y-Yes, Niisan, but what about you?"

"I'll be fine. Don't waste your time worrying about me; it's really gotten annoying."

Hinata's heart sank as she watched her cousin leap into the woods without a backward glance.

"B-But…" Hinata mumbled to herself, folding her hands together. "F-Family is supposed to worry about each other…"

Hinata didn't go too far up stream. She kept Neji's advise clear in mind with every movement she made, scanning the woods every now and then for any signs of danger.

There were plenty of fish racing up stream, which was a little curious since it wasn't yet mating season, but that made things easier for Hinata. The moon was bright in the sky by this point, adding glow to the shiny scales worn by the fish, so Hinata did not need to use her Byakugan to see them.

Her first few attempts were failures, but in the end she'd caught four. Two for her, and two for her niisan.

After lacing them together with some fishing string she'd brought specifically for the occasion, Hinata approached the river bank and slid back into her shoes.

As Hinata was making her way back to camp, the sharp snap of a twig caused her to stop in her tracks. It was very dark out, but the moon was glowing beautifully, making it impossible to miss the rustling in the bushes behind her. Hinata was about to activate her Byakugan when a thick, hefty silhouette emerged from behind a thicket of trees.

A giant…bear. Hinata gulped.

The bear crept forward, sniffing the ground curiously, then turned it's attention toward Hinata. It eyed her curiously, then roared, baring it's beast-like teeth.

Hinata shrank back, heel splashing in the river behind her, and turned her eyes upon the beast with worry. _Wh-What do I do? _Hinata thought desperately.

The bear continued making advances, raising it's large snout in the air and catching Hinata's scent as well as that of the fish she had strung in her hand. The giant bear rose on both of it's thick legs and roared at her once more.

Hinata gasped at the fierceness of the sound, backing further into the river.

"Get back, Hinata-sama!" Neji's voice cut through the night.

Hinata saw him bound from beyond the woods, Byakugan activated, and slid to a stop in front of her.

"N-Niisan!" Hinata cried, taking a step forward on reflex.

"I was waiting for you," he said coolly, then produced a quick hand sign, preparing to unleash his jutsu on the large beast, but Hinata stopped him.

"Wait, Niisan!" she cried, grabbing his shoulder.

Neji spun around angrily and shouted, "What?!"

Hinata snatched her hands away, face quite pale, and pointed in the bushes behind the bear. "L-Look…"

Two little furry creatures stumbled out of the woods behind the bear, sniffing the ground and pawing at their its hind legs.

"It's a mother bear," Hinata noted.

Neji stared at the cubs who knocking against one another clumsily like the children they were, and let out a quiet 'humph!' while lowering his hands to his side.

Hinata came from around him, but only slightly since Neji would not let her get far, and tossed the fish at the mother's feet. The bear knelt down, sniffing them curiously, then picked them up in her mouth, turning towards the woods again. The furry cubs, who'd begun play fighting with one another, broke their distraction and immediately went to follow their mother through the trees.

"I-It just wanted food for it's babies…" Hinata said with some sort of affection.

Neji sighed, glaring into the woods with his Byakugan to confirm the distance the bear was putting between them, and turned to Hinata.

"I guess this means I'll have to help you after all," he said casually.

"W-With what?" Hinata asked in puzzlement.

"Catching dinner. I'm still hungry."

***-*-*-*-*-*-***

After roasting several fish for dinner, Neji and Hinata ate in silence. The two of them soon would have to go to bed, as they still had a long way to go before making it to Suna, and they--Neji especially--did not want to waste any time in the morning by oversleeping.

"I'll take the first watch," Neji said when they were done eating." The lingering smell of cooked fish may attract some wild animals or even robbers and someone needs to be awake in case that happens."

Of course there was no lighter sleeper than Neji, but this was how he decided to do things. Hinata swallowed her last bite and set the skew aside. "Wh-When will you wake me up for my shift?" she asked.

"In a few hours," was his response. "Now go to bed, Hinata-sama."

Hinata did as she was told and crawled tiredly into her sleeping bad. The ground underneath wasn't particularly comfy, but at least she was warm. Hinata glanced at her cousin from behind the fire to see he was staring at her, and she mumbled an affectionate, "Good night, Brother," before fading into darkness.

**//*********************************//A/N//***************************************//**

**Now I know Suna is SO not that far away from Konoha, but for the sake of the story I extended the time needed to get there.**

**If you overlook that minor flaw, the story ought to be much more enjoyable.**

**And thank you for your reviews. They mean so much to me. Any comment is well appreciated.**

**(Neji, I--I mean 'we'--love you!)**


End file.
